Riding a hot streak
6
straight overall top-10s
Currently on a 6-contest overall top-10 run.
- career best 6
Smoke, Fire & Brew
Smoke, Fire & Brew is a competition barbecue team with 29 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2018 and 2026. They have won 5 Grand Championships, most recently at the Best of the Midwest BBQ (2022), and finished Reserve Grand Champion 3 times. They are ranked #563 of 6,485 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “Smoke Fire & Brew”.
At a glance (the record in numbers)
Rating
1665
peak 1665 · rated over 20 contests
Contests
29
in the data
First seen
Jun 23, 2018
latest Jun 19, 2026 · 8 years on the trail
Grand champs
5
3 reserve · wins it all 17% of the time
Category wins
8
21 podiums
Overall top-10s
15
52% of 29 contests
Best top-10 run
7
straight overall top-10s, still running · 3 straight GCs
Avg finish
top 20%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
342.12 ▲
last 5 Backyard vs avg 338.14 (+3.98)
Walk rate
69%
contests with a top-10 call
Best single call
178.8572
Consistency
±8.12
spread of their Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Pork
avg 170.51 · weakest Brisket (162.97)
Road miles
2,206
across 28 mapped stops · furthest 218 mi
Schedule strength
55%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1570)
Purse competed for
$103K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
3 🏅
won from 13 state-championship entries
Master avg
671.65 / 720
4 Master contests · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
338.14 / 360
16 Backyard contests · 4 GCs
Backyard (3-meat) avg
533.77 / 540
1 Backyard (3-meat) contest · 1 GC
These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360, Backyard (3-meat) out of 540), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.
This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.
Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #169 (279 pts) | #89 (731 pts) | — | — |
| 2023 ↗ | Master | — | — | #517 (447 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #27 (1,006 pts) | #29 (1,021 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Master | — | — | #1050 (140 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #44 (794 pts) | #48 (734 pts) | — | — |
| 2020 ↗ | Backyard | — | #47 (234 pts) | #49 (234 pts) | — | — |
| 2019 ↗ | Master | #862 (328 pts) | #795 (413 pts) | #808 (398 pts) | #941 (313 pts) | #936 (318 pts) |
| 2018 ↗ | Master | #1476 (130 pts) | #1842 (95 pts) | #1771 (110 pts) | #1185 (235 pts) | #1990 (60 pts) |
Overall rank by season
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The teams rated closest to Smoke, Fire & Brew, each with one reason worth a look.
#561 of the rated field
- Contests
- 22
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 77%
- Peak
- 1666
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 21 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Compare careers#564 of the rated field
- Contests
- 34
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1681
Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 7 years before Smoke, Fire & Brew's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Compare careers#562 of the rated field
- Contests
- 48
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 38%
- Peak
- 1678
A longer road to the same neighbourhood — 48 contests to 29.
⚔ Compare careers#557 of the rated field
- Contests
- 110
- GCs
- 1
- Top-10s
- 35%
- Peak
- 1719
7–1 in 8 shared contests (88% to Smoke, Fire & Brew)
These two have cooked 8 of the same contests — Smoke, Fire & Brew ahead 7–1 — so there's a record behind this pairing and not just a matching number.
⚔ Head-to-head#567 of the rated field
- Contests
- 25
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 72%
- Peak
- 1664
Their rating is built on 4 Grand Championships in 25 contests, alongside a 72% overall top-10 rate.
⚔ Compare careers#565 of the rated field
- Contests
- 39
- GCs
- 4
- Top-10s
- 46%
- Peak
- 1664
Level with Smoke, Fire & Brew on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Compare careersFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmokinGhost BBQ | 11 | 10 | 1 | 91% | ⚔ compare |
| THE BBQ BUS | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% | ⚔ compare |
| QUE U | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% | ⚔ compare |
| Rusty Pig BBQ | 9 | 6 | 2 | 67% | ⚔ compare |
| Risky Brisket | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| T Daddys BBQ | 8 | 7 | 1 | 88% | ⚔ compare |
| One2BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| BIG "E" BBQ | 8 | 4 | 4 | 50% | ⚔ compare |
| WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ | 8 | 3 | 5 | 38% | ⚔ compare |
| Second Hand Smoke SLV | 7 | 7 | 0 | 100% | ⚔ compare |
| CHANNABILLY BBQ | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| DB BBQ | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| PORKRASTINATORS | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% | ⚔ compare |
| Shmack Q | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
| Good Grefe! | 7 | 5 | 2 | 71% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 21 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 177.7028 | 164.5372 | 170.43 | top 20% |
| Pork Ribs | 24 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 178.8572 | 155.3944 | 168.87 | top 24% |
| Pork | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 178.2972 | 160.5256 | 170.51 | top 30% |
| Brisket | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 169.6800 | 155.3944 | 162.97 | top 54% |
“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.
By field size and state
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium (20–39) | 11 | 4 | top 16% |
| Large (40+) | 10 | 1 | top 24% |
Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best of the Midwest BBQ | 3 | 1 | 1 | top 4% | Oct 14, 2022 |
| Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 1 | 1 | top 16% | Jun 17, 2023 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 4 | 0 | top 25% | Jun 11, 2022 |
| Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | 2 | 6 | 0 | top 29% | Jun 10, 2022 |
| Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | top 38% | Jun 22, 2019 |
More numbers
Busiest season
2022
6 contests · 3 GCs
Contests a season
3.2
across 9 seasons in the data
Most contests held in
IL
19 of 29 contests · 2 states in all
Contests visited
15
5 of them more than once
Most-entered meat
Pork Ribs
24 entries · 4 wins · 16 calls
Opponents faced
429
finished ahead 765 times, behind 191
Longest layoff
2.8 yrs
Sep 3, 2023 → Jun 19, 2026
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
20262 milestones
- Peak power rating (1665) Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Most recent contest Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
20231 milestone
- 25th tracked contest Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
20221 milestone
- 5th Grand Championship Best of the Midwest BBQ
20195 milestones
- Career-best overall score681.6344 Route 66 Smoke Out
- First Reserve Championship Hog Capital Challenge
- 10th tracked contest Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2
- First state championship Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
- Biggest field won (40 teams) Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown
—9 milestones
- First tracked contest Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First call Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First category win (Chicken) Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall top-10 Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall podium Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First Grand Championship Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First multi-meat day Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score533.7716 Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
- Career-best single call (Pork Ribs)178.8572 Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY)
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +15.6 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown | Jul 19, 2019 |
| +15 | Hog Capital Challenge | Jun 14, 2019 |
| +15 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) | Jun 24, 2022 |
| +14.2 | Best of the Midwest BBQ | Oct 16, 2020 |
| +14 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 | Jun 23, 2018 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -1.2 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) | Jun 11, 2022 |
| -1.2 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 | Jun 11, 2021 |
| -0.6 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) | Aug 25, 2023 |
Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)
Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)
Where they finish (overall)
Best vs average (by meat)
How entries end (by meat)
Season by season
| Season | Contests | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 100% | top 5% | 98.8% | 98.8% |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 20% | 96.5% | 96.5% |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 100% | top 31% | 93.8% | 93.2% |
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 83% | top 13% | 98.1% | 95% |
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 60% | top 22% | 95.7% | 92.6% |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 100% | top 4% | 92.8% | 92.8% |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 80% | top 25% | 94.9% | 93.8% |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25% | top 25% | 93.3% | 93.3% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | — | — | — |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 2026 | Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 8 / 41 (347.4172) | 4 (176.5944) | 20 (170.8228) | — | — |
| Sep 3, 2023 | Rib Double Dip (1) (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 4 (170.2860) | — | — |
| Sep 3, 2023 | Rib Double Dip (2) (ONE MEAT RIBS) Chillicothe, IL | — | — | 1 (175.4172) | — | — |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) Lincoln, IL | 9 / 26 (337.6456) | 16 (165.6684) | 5 (171.9772) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2023 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) Morris, IL | 9 / 33 (333.6228) | 5 (169.6684) | 15 (163.9544) | — | — |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 1 / 36 (345.6916) | 1 (171.9772) | 1 (173.7144) | — | — |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown (Day One) 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 1 / 36 (346.2400) | 3 (169.6800) | 1 (176.5600) | — | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Morris Rhythm & BBQ Festival (Backyard) Morris, IL | 1 / 23 (353.1084) | 1 (177.7028) | 2 (175.4056) | — | — |
| Jun 11, 2022 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 2 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 15 / 37 (329.6688) | 18 (164.5372) | 11 (165.1316) | — | — |
| Jun 10, 2022 | Bring'n Home the Bacon Day 1 (MASTER & BACKYARD) 🏅 West Salem, WI | 6 / 39 (335.3600) | 6 (170.8228) | 11 (164.5372) | — | — |
| May 14, 2022 | BBQ, BLESSINGS & THE VFW (ONE MEAT RIBS) Oconomowoc, WI | — | — | 7 (159.9544) | — | — |
| Oct 22, 2021 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 2 / 44 (333.6460) | 3 (166.2400) | 2 (167.4060) | — | — |
| Oct 16, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 2 (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 6 / 36 (339.9772) | 12 (167.4172) | 3 (172.5600) | — | — |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon II Day 1 (BACKYARD) West Salem, WI | 16 / 40 (327.4060) | 12 (166.2400) | 21 (161.1660) | — | — |
| Jun 12, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 2 🏅 West Salem, WI | 4 / 45 (344.6288) | 3 (175.4516) | 10 (169.1772) | — | — |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Bring'n Home the Bacon - Day 1 🏅 West Salem, WI | 22 / 52 (320.5144) | 15 (165.1200) | 26 (155.3944) | — | — |
| Oct 16, 2020 | Best of the Midwest BBQ 🏅 Union Grove, WI | 2 / 50 (334.2520) | 2 (166.2516) | 2 (168.0004) | — | — |
| Oct 11, 2019 | Central Illinois Bragging Rights (CIBR-BBQ) 🏅 Arthur, IL | 20 / 43 (667.3024) | 12 (171.9884) | 17 (166.8228) | 32 (160.5256) | 20 (167.9656) |
| Jul 19, 2019 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown 🏅 Peoria, IL | 1 / 40 (339.4400) | 2 (171.4400) | 2 (168) | — | — |
| Jun 22, 2019 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 🏅 Belvidere, IL | 23 / 45 (666.2172) | 12 (170.2628) | 8 (172) | 17 (168.5600) | 38 (155.3944) |
| Jun 14, 2019 | Hog Capital Challenge 🏅 Kewanee, IL | 2 / 25 (341.6916) | 2 (170.8344) | 2 (170.8572) | — | — |
| May 3, 2019 | Route 66 Smoke Out 🏅 Dwight, IL | 6 / 33 (681.6344) | 7 (173.1084) | 9 (167.9888) | 8 (170.8572) | 6 (169.6800) |
| Jul 20, 2018 | Central Illinois BBQ Throwdown (JUDGES FULL) Peoria, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 23, 2018 | Heritage Days BBQ Showdown Day 2 Belvidere, IL | 11 / 44 (671.4632) | 18 (171.4400) | 15 (166.8688) | 3 (174.2972) | 30 (158.8572) |
| Jun 15, 2018 | Hog Capital Challenge Kewanee, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 1, 2018 | Up In smoke on the Square ( WAIT LIST ONLY FOR JUDGES) Lincoln, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul 1, 2017 | I-39 Smokin Car Show Minonk, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jun 16, 2017 | Hog Capital Challenge (JUDGES FULL) Kewanee, IL | — | — | — | — | — |
| — | Decatur's Smokin BBQ Festival Backyard Competition Presented by Kenney's Ace Hardware (BACKYARD ONLY) Decatur, IL | 1 / 22 (533.7716) | 1 (176.6172) | 1 (178.8572) | 1 (178.2972) | — |